The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-30

universally of this belief in an infinite
demon even tends to prove his existence.
In the world of thought, majorities count
for nothing. Truth has always dwet with
the few
RELIGION AND MORALITY.
The most religious nations have been the
most immoral, the cruelist and the most
unjust. Italy was lar worse under the
popes than under the Caesars. Was there
ever u barbarian nation more savage than
the Spain OF the sixteenth century? Ger
tainly YOU must know that what YOU call
religion has produced a thousand civil
wars, and has severed with the sword all
the natural ties that produce 'the unity
and married claim OF States" Theology il
the fruitful mother OF discord; order is the
child of reason. II YOU will candidly con-
slider this question-if You will for a few
moments forget your prcconccived opin-
ions-you will instantly sec that the in
stinct Of sell preservation holds society to-
geiher. Religion itself was born of this in
slinct. People, being ignorant, believed
that the gods were jealous and rcvengcful.
They peopled space with phantoms that
demanded worship and delighted in sacri-
flee and ceremony, phantoms that could he
llattcred by praise and changed by prayer.
These ignorant people wished 10 preserve
themselves. They supposed that they
could in this wayayoid peslilcnce and lam
inc, and postpone, perhaps, the day of
death Do YOU not see that self-prescrva-
ton lies at the foundation Of worship?
| Nations, like individuals, defend and
protect themselves. Nations, like individ-
uals, have fears, have ideas, and live for
the accomplishment Of certain eu,ls Men
defend their property because it IL Of value.
Industry is the eneiby Of thief. Men, as u
rule, desire to live, and for that reason
murder is crime. Fraud is hateful to the
victim. The majority Of mankind work
and produce the nccisSaries, the comforts,
and the luxnries OF life They wish to r.
tain the fruits Of their labor. Government
is one Of the instruInentalitics forthc pres
ervation Of what man dccmsoi value. This
! is the foundation of social order aud this
holds society together
! Religion has been the enemy of social
order, because il directs the attention Of
man 10 another world. Religion teaches
its voiatics 10 sacrifice this world for the
sake vf tliai other The effects 10 weaken
the ties that hold families and States to-
gcthcr OF what consequence IL any
thing in this world compared with eternal
joy2
You insist that man is not capable OF
selfgovcrnmcnt, and that God made the
mistake of filling the world with failures
in other words, that man must DO gov
crncd, not by himself but by your God,
and that your God produces order and es-
tablishes and preserves all the nations of
the earth. This being 80, your God is
responsible for the government of this
world. Does he preserve orlcr in Russia?
Is he accountable for Siberia? Did hc es-
tablsh the institution Of slavery? Was he
the founder of the Inqusition?
RETRIBUTIoNs 90 HISTORY.
You answer all these questions by calling
my attention 10 "the rctributions Of his.
tory" What are the rctribuiions OF his
tory2 The honest were burned ut the
stake; the patriotic, the generous and the
noble were allowed 10 die in dungeons;
whole races were cnslaved; millions oi
mothers were robbed of their habcs.
What were the rctributions of history
They who committed these crimes wore
crowns aud they who justified these in.
iamics were adorned with the tiara.
You are mistaken when you say that
Lincoln ut Gettysburg said: Just and
true are thy judgments, Lord God Al.
mighty" Something like this occurs In
his Inst inaugural, In which he says
speaking IT his hope that tha war might
soon be- cndcd-"lf II shall continue until
every drop Of blood drawn 10y the lash
shall bc paid by another drawn by the
sword, still IL must bc said, The iudg
mcnts Of the Lord are true and righteous
altogether But admitting that you arr
correct in the assertion, let me ask you
one question: Could one standing ovcI
the body Of Lincoln, the blood slowly COZ
ing frpm the madman's wound, hay,
truthfully said: "Just aud true arc thy
judgments, Lord God Almighty"
DO you really believe that this world j,
governed by AN infinitely wise and good
God? Have YOU convinced even yourself
Of thi9 Why should God permit the Fri
umph Of injusticc2 Why should the low
ing be tortnredP Why should the mobiles
! be destroyed WHY should the world N
filed with misery, with ignorance am
, with want? What reason have YOU fo
believing that your God will do better IL
another world than he has done and I
doing In this? win he be- wiser? vii
|, he have more power? Will he be NOR,
mcrciiul2
When / say "your God" Of course
mean the God described in the Bible an,
, the Presbyterian Confession Of Faith. Bu
again say, that, IN the nature Of things
7 there can bc no evidence Of the cxistcnc
!, Of an infinite being.
u An infinite being must he conditionless
and for that reason there IL nothing that
finite being can do that can by any posi-
4 bility affect the well being Of the condi
!. tionlcss. This being 10, man can ncilhc
i owe nor discharge any debt or duty 10 nj
!, infinite being The infinite cannot want
L and man can do nothing for n being VIII
II wants nothing A conditioned being ca
II be made happy or miserable by changin
70 conditions, but the condtiOnlcss n abs
!. lutely independent Of cause and effect.
n do not say that God does not exist
II neither do say that God does exist; bu
T. say that do not know that there ca
o be no evidence 10 my mind Of the cXii
= tence Of such being, aud that my min
e In 10 that IL is incapable Of even tiinkin
, Of an infinite personality. ! know that !
II your creed you describe God IN "withot
:, body, parts or passions" This 10 m
.. mind, Is simply description Of an inf
d mite vacuum. have had no cxperienC
10 with gods. This world il the only on
n with which am acquainted, and | vi
surprised to find in your letter the expire
D. sion that perhaps Others are better ~
4 quainted with that Of which | am ~ Il
d norant" Did you, by this, intend Ia ~
le that you know anything Of any other stat
10 Of exisicncc-that Won have inhabiiC
10 some other planet-that YOU lived bciol
NJ you were born, and that you rccollc
IL something OF that other world, or Of tn
other state2
IL IMMORTALITY.
"A i'm
We have done me, unintcntionally, q great i
~ Justice. With regard TO that hope, ha'
a never uttered "a llippant or Arrival wor
IL NIL Il.....-....-I u.